Half the battle of getting out the door is the decision making that goes into food – breakfast and lunches and planning for dinner. (Why do all these people need to keep eating?!?) So here are some easy ideas to get lunch underway each and every day (and save you some stress in the AM hours.)
Have a Lunch Menu Sit down and brainstorm everything that your family likes to take for lunch. Make up a meal plan for the rest of the week so that you don’t have to think about it. If you find a plan that works, repeat every week. (Monday is PB&J, Tuesday is Turkey Tortilla Roll Ups etc.)
Make it the Night Before Don’t leave the kitchen after dinner until lunch is packed. Keep a supply of containers, napkins, utensil handy so that lunches are a breeze to put together. And finally…
Our Super Secret for Never Forgetting Your Lunch Again If you are packing your lunch to go in the fridge the night before, but have a habit of leaving the house sans lunch. Go ahead and put your car keys on top of your pre-packed lunch. When you go to look for them, I promise it will jog your memory of where they are.
Special Hints For Kids
- PB&J I love Crystal for Money Saving Mom’s post about Filling Your Freezer: Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches (she has a special technique to keep the bread from getting soggy: put peanut butter on both sides of bread, creating a sealant against the bread.)
- DIY Snack Packs While convenience seems to be the name of the game for most families with kids, with a little prep, you can save money and have kid lunches pre-prepped. Buy a big bag of mini carrots on the weekend, and then break them down into smaller bags (or better yet, have your kids do it and count it as a counting activity.) I have a basket in my fridge with all the grab and go stuff for lunches so even smaller kids can pack most of their own lunches.
For Adults
- Dinner Leftovers Now that I have adult kids, (with access to microwaves at work,) Roger is not the only one who is keeping out leftovers from dinner in check. When you are cleaning up after dinner, go ahead and package leftovers for lunch the next day for any adults in the house.
- DIY Frozen Dinners When I’m doing one of my big freezer cooking projects, I will do an extra lasagna or pot of chili and break those down into meal-sized portions. That way, my husband or I can grab an individual serving and heat it up in the microwave. Much cheaper than a frozen meal or eating out.
- Store-bought Frozen Dinners I watch my store ads and when Roger’s favorite frozen dinners go on sale for $2 per meal or less, I stock up. (This is especially handy for when I’m traveling out of town.) All he has to do is add a piece of fruit.
Tell me in the comments below what your favorite on the go lunch is (for you or your kiddos) and you’ll be entered into our drawing for The Get Yourself Organized Project and a $10 Starbucks Card!
I love all these great ideas! When I had my fourth, I decided I was tired of spending an hour every night packing three kids lunches and my husband’s lunch (I think I must be a slow packer). I have let the kids do it, and there is MUCH less waste (I kept forgetting which person didn’t like grapes, cheese, etc. on any given day). Some favorite items at our house are: oatmeal in a thermos, ravioli in a thermos (I just made the Aldi kind and we warm up the individual portion and put it in the thermos each morning), greek yogurt when I can get it clearanced for under .50, the go-gurt protein yogurts, cereal in a baggie, the high protein granola, fresh grapes, apple slices, celery slices and PB, etc. Hope that helps!!
ROTFLOL!!! I AM SUCH A MORON!!! I read the tip about putting a layer of peanut butter on both sides of the bread and thought, “… But that would just make your hands sticky.” I first thought you meant putting peanut butter on both sides of the SAME piece of bread, not on the inside of both pieces. SMH :o)
On a more intelligent note… I love the idea about putting your keys on your lunchbox so you don’t forget them. This tips will be implemented immediately.
Making lunches is one of my least favorite things!!
Freezing ham and cheese sandwiches has worked for me.
My dh often takes leftovers for his lunch, which we try to pack when cleaning up supper. We keep cans of soup, tuna, and pasta on hand for the days he doesn’t have leftovers. A bin of snacks and basket of fruit give him other options to grab and go. Thanks.
Our favorite on the go lunch would have to be our turkey and cheese pinwheel wraps, mini carrots, sliced bell peppers, and grapes. I also like to grab a few hardboiled eggs as a snack and a quick source of protein. Thank you for the opportunity to win your “Get Yourself Organized Project” book and the Starbucks gift card!
Favorite go-to lunch: Salad in a jar. Easy, delicious and filling
We have nut allergies at our house, so instead of PB&J we do cream cheese and jelly. And this time of year, our bumper crop of cherry tomatoes makes an appearance as sides or snacks, saving $$$ we’d have otherwise spent on fruit!
My kids like peanut butter on graham crackers with a few chocolate chips sprinkled on, homemade cinnamon raisin bread with cream cheese, and crackers with summer sausage and cheese.
My four kids go to the school where DH teaches. They do not have a hot lunch option. That is 5 lunches per day to pack. Each child is by and large responsible for making his or her own lunch. I make ahead PBJ, “power balls”, and I do buy the prepackaged applesauces, granola bars etc (Martha Stewart doesn’t live here!). I also have a standing rule that if you forget your lunch I’m not bringing it to you (a little grace in first grade, but having to share lunch with a friend a time or two after that teaches you real quick not to forget!). Mean mommy? Perhaps. Mommy who still has to take forgotten lunches to school forever? Nope.
My kids and I eat at home every day, but my husband takes a lunch to work. Leftovers for lunch are the best. I just separate them into single servings when I store them in the fridge. He can just grab a container and go!